Adjustable knockdown shelf assembly



March 1956 a. SCHOENHARDT ADJUSTABLE KNOCKDOWN SHELF ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1950 JUVE'HL 01W" eazgeficfzoezzlzard March 27, 1956 5 SCHQENHARDT 2,739,777

ADJUSTABLE KNOCKDOWN SHELF ASSEMBLY Filed July 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Shem 2 JHVEHL Dr eozggeficfzaezz/zara't United States Patent ADJUSTABLE KNOCKDOWN SHELF ASSEMBLY George Schoenhardt, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Jewel Tea Company, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application July 29, 1950, Serial No. 176,587 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-243) This invention relates to improvements in knockdown adjustable shelf assemblies and more particularly relates to such an assembly which may be used as a shelf island in a store and may be extended or taken down at will.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a new and improved adjustable knockdown shelf assembly of a stronger and simpler construction than formerly, arranged with a view toward utmost ease in assembling and taking down the shelf structure.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shelf assembly of a new and improved form and construction, arranged with a view toward providing a structure that may be knocked down and built up or extended with no tools other than a hammer.

In carrying out my invention I provide a simplified and improved form of knockdown shelf assembly wherein a plurality of shelf supporting uprights are adjustably held in spaced relation with respect to each other by detachable spacing members which may also connect adjacent assemblies together and wherein shelf supporting brackets may be adjustably supported on the uprights by simply inserting the brackets through spaced supporting slots formed therein.

These and other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevational view of a shelf assembly constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, in rear elevation, looking toward the rear end of the assembly and showing the method of connecting adjacent assembly uprights together and spacing said uprights apart;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line V-V of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken through one of the uprights of the shelf assembly and showing the method of detachably securing a shelf bracket thereto;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one of the shelf brackets showing the keyhole slot for detachably securing a shelf thereto; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line VIII-VIII of Figure 2.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the shelf assembly includes generally a base 10 having a plurality of spaced shelf supporting uprights 11 extending upwardly from the rear end thereof, with shelf brackets 12-12 detachably mounted therein and forming a support for shelves 14-14. Said brackets and shelves may be stepped, if desired, to provide a terraced effect of the shelving.

The base 10 may be made from relatively light gauge steel plates 13-13, herein shown as extending vertically and having inturned or flanged upper and lower ends 15 and 16, respectively, forming each plate in the form of a shallow channel. The lower flange 16 is shown as resting on the ground and the upper flange 15 as having a shelf 17 supported thereon and forming the lower shelf of the assembly.

2,739,777 Patented Mar. 27 1956,

It will be noted with reference to Figure 2 that the upper and lower flanges of the base plate '13 are turned inwardly out of parallel with relation to each other so as to incline the shelf 17, downwardly at a slight angle from its outer end' to its inner end. Theangle of the lower flange with respect to the upper flange is also shown as determining the angle of inclination of the associatedupright 11 secured thereto as will hereinafter more clearly appear as thisspecification proceeds. It also determines the angle of'the next succeeding shelvesjof the assembly. A forward end portionof each plate 13is turned inwardly at rightangles with, respect thereto, as indicated by, ref erence character 21, andis. herein shown as extending vertically at a receding anglewith respect to the forward end of the shelf 17 to form, a means for detachably. securing an end board 22,. thereto. The extreme forward ends of the upper and lower flanges 15 and. 16 are likewise turned inwardly and extendin parallel relation. with respect to the forward endportion 21 to form slotted-portions to receive and guide the end board 22 and enable it to readily be placed. in, position. The two parallel spaced plates 13-13, together with the shelf 17 and end piece 22, thus form a detachable base for the shelf as.- sembly and have the uprights 11-11 secured to and extending upwardly from the rear ends thereof. The lower, flange 16. may be provided with holes to secure said base to the ground if so desired.

Each upright 11 is herein shown as being formed from a vertically extending plate or bar 23 having a channel 24 suitably secured. to the advance or forward side thereof and extending vertically therealong with the open portion of the channel facing the bar 23. (Figures 3 and 6). The legs of the channel 24 may be welded at their ends to the bar 23 and are provided withv a plurality of spaced hori. zontally aligned vertical extending slots 25 and. 26 spaced vertically along said respective legs. Said slots are herein shown as being rectangular and may receive. a securing extension 27 and an aligning nib 29 of a shelf bracket 12 and form a detachable support for said bracket as will hereinafter more clearly appear as thisv specification pro: ceeds.

The lower end of the legs of the channel 24 facing the bar 23 are cut away an amount equal to the thickness of the base plate 13 and extend through a slotted portion 31 of said base plate and along the inside of said base plate and may be secured thereto as by welding. The bar 23 is shown in Figure 5 as extending along the outside of said base plate and may be suitably secured thereto. A chanel 33 is shown as being secured to and ex-. tending along the bar 23 from a position substantially adjacent the top of the shelf 17 to the top of said bar. The open portion of said channel faces away from said bar to receive and form a slidable support for a panel 34, forming a back for the shelf assembly, and shown in Figure 2 as being recessed at its lower end in the top of the shelf 17.

Each bar 23 is also provided with a pair of vertically spaced vertically extending slots 35-35 disposed adjae cent the lower end thereof and a plurality of similar slots 36-36 disposed adjacent the upper end thereof for receiving spacer bars 37-37. The spacer bars 37-37 serve to connect the uprights 11-11 together and to space the uprights 11-11 apart in the desired spaced relation with respect to each other. As herein shown, each spacer bar 37 is in the form of an angle having the horizontal leg thereof cut away adjacent opposite ends thereof. Downwardly opening notches 38-38 are formed adjacent the ends of the horizontal leg of said bar and are shown as having inclined side walls converging toward the inner ends of said slots to enable said spacer bars to be readily inserted Within the respective slots formed in the bars 23-23 of the uprights 11-11 (Figure 4). The

inner ends of the downwardly opening notches 38-38 are herein shown as being of the width of two bars 23-23 to connect two adjacent uprights together to horizontally extend the shelf assembly. The notches at one end of each end spacer bar maybe of the Width of one bar 23 where no other series of shelving is to be, connected there- It may be seen from the foregoing that a simplified form of shelf supporting standard has been provided, enabling the extension of the shelving horizontally by placing one standard in alignment with the other and tying adjacent standards together by the spacer strips 3737, and that thestandard itself and the adjacent standards may readily be knocked down or assembled and connected'together to extend or shorten the shelf assembly without the use of tools other than a hammer The shelf brackets 12-12 are each of a similar construction, the only difierence between certain of said brackets being that some may be longer than others. The same part numbers will therefore be applied to each shelf bracket, regardless of its length, and only one of said brackets need herein be shown and described in detail. As shown in Figures 2, 6, 7 and 8, each shelf bracket 12 is substantially in the form of a right angle triangle 30 withthe base thereof engaging and extending along the outer face of the channel 24 and the horizontal leg thereof having a right-angled flange portion 39 having a plurality of keyhole slots 40-40 formed therein for detachably securing the shelves 14-14 thereto. As shown in Figures 2 and 8, screws 42 may be threaded through spacing strips 47 extending along and secured to the bottom edges of the shelf. The heads of said screws may be spaced beneath the bottom of said spacing strip. When inserting the shelf on the spaced brackets the screws 4242 first fit through the enlarged portions of the keyhole slots 4040. The shelf may then be moved rearwardly along said brackets to move the screw 42 into engagement with the restricted portions of said keyhole slots and hold the shelf in position. The shelf 17 may be detachably connected to the upper flanges of the base plates 13--13 in a similar manner. I I

The securing extension '27 of the shelf bracket 12 is shown in Figure 6 as extending rearwardly from the base of said shelf bracket in a slightly upwardly inclined direction and as being formed integrally therewith. A gib or hooked portion 43 is shown as extending upwardly from the outer end of said extension for engagement with the outer rear side of the channel 24. The lower face of the extension 27 has a downwardly opening notched portion 44 adjacent the base of the bracket, which fits within the slot 25 and over the leg of the channel 24 through which said slot opens. The securing extension 27 thus extends through and engages the spaced slots 25 and 26 at spaced apart points, engaging the upper side of the slot 26 and outer or rear wall of the channel 24 at its upper face and the lower side of the aligned slot 25 and the forward wall of the channel 24 at its lower face.

The nib 29 is spaced downwardly along the base of the bracket 12 and the securing extension 27 and is herein shown as converging toward a point to readily register with a slot 25 and align the bracket 12 during insertion on the upright 11 and to hold said bracket from twisting movement with respect to said upright.

It should here be noted that the distance from the bottom of the outer end portion of the extension 27 to the top of the gib 43 is substantiall y equal to the height of the associated slots 25 and 26 and that when inserting said shelf bracket 12 through the aligned slots 25 and 26 the shelf bracket may first be tilted upwardly to insert the gib 43 in the slot 25 and then may be moved along said slot in this upwardly tilted position and be inserted through the slot 26. When the gib 43 has been fully inserted through the slot 26 and the bracket is allowed to move downwardly to a horizontal position, the notch 44 will register with the lower wall of the slot, 25 and th 4 shelf bracket will be securely in place with the nib 29 in engagement with the slot 25 in place ready for the mounting of a shelf 14 thereon.

The mounting of the other shelf brackets on the channels 2424 is attained in a mannerv similar .to that just described by sliding movement of the bracket, when in an upwardly tilted position, through the aligned slots 25 and 26 in the associated channels and these brackets may be inserted in any desired vertically spaced relation along said channels, thus affording a means for spacing the shelves in various desired spacings with respect to each other.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. An adjustable shelf support comprising a channelshaped shelf supporting upright having parallel front and rear legs having a plurality of horizontally aligned slots extending therethrough and spaced vertically therealong, a shelf bracket having interengaging connection with said slots and supported by said upright, said shelf bracket having a base engageable with the front leg of said channel-shaped upright member and having a securing extension projecting rearwardly "from said base adjacent the upper end thereof, said securing extension detachably extending through two of said horizontally aligned slots and having an upright gib projecting from its outer end for engagement with the rear face of a rear leg of said channel, and having a downwardly opening slot engaging the portion of the front leg of said channel extending downwardly from the slot through which said securing extension extends, and a downwardly spaced aligning nib extending rearwardly from said base and engaging a slot in the front leg of said channel spaced below said first slot.

2. A knockdown shelf'supporting structure comprising a shelf bracket, an upright channel supporting member having two parallel spaced vertically extending legs, a plurality of pairs of horizontally aligned vertically spaced slots extending through said legs, and an intere'ngaging connection between said shelf bracket and at least three of said slots comprising a securing extension extending rearwardly from said bracket and inclined upwardly from the upper supporting surface thereof at a relatively flat angle and passing through two of said horizontally aligned slots and having a retaining gib'projecting upwardly from its rear end for engagement at its inner side with the rear face of one of said'legs, said securing extension having a downwardly spaced rearwardly projecting aligning nib for engagement with'a next adjacent downwardly spaced slot in a front leg of said channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 670,144 Bond Mar. 19, 1901 836,321 Hill Nov. 20, 1906 857,543 Thomas June 18, 1907 977,609 Freeman Q. Dec. 6, 1910 1,024,922 Beecher Apr. 30, 1912 1,213,304 Vance Ian. 23, 1917 1,411,260 'Aker et al. Apr. 4, 1922 1,803,016 Harsted- Apr. 28, 1931 1,806,642 Ohnstrand May 26, 1931 1,853,018 Knape Apr. 5, 1932 1,940,454 Karnes Dec. 19, 1933 2,056,078 Slater Sept. 29, 1936 2,192,102 Pinto Feb. 27, 1940 2,336,604 Edward'et al. Dec. 14, 1943 2,462,330 Mueller Feb. 22, 1949 2,477,735 Gentile Aug. 2, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 7, 1933 

